PADRES: Venable demoted before latest loss

SAN DIEGO ---- The shakeup began Monday afternoon. Padres
general manager Jed Hoyer said he hopes further moves aren't
necessary.

One day after manager Bud Black and his team held a postgame
get-it-together meeting, Hoyer demoted outfielder and leadoff
hitter Will Venable to Triple-A Tucson.

The move didn't have an instant impact, as the Padres managed
only six hits in 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park.
The Padres purchased the contract of outfielder Blake Tekotte from
Double-A San Antonio to replace Venable, who was hitting .224 with
zero home runs and eight RBIs in 134 at-bats.

"This isn't about putting (the team's struggles) on Will, by any
means," Hoyer said. "We need to start playing better, and there
will be moves in the future if we don't. This is one move, and I
hope this isn't the start of things to come. I hope we start
playing better. But if we don't start playing better, we're going
to continue to make moves to improve things."

The Padres had high hopes for Venable this season. He became a
full-time starter last year and provided the team with spectacular
defense, 13 homers and 29 stolen bases.

Believing his combination of speed and power would play well at
the top of the lineup, Black and Hoyer entrusted the leadoff role
to Venable. But in 22 starts batting leadoff, Venable has a .280
on-base percentage in 107 plate appearances.

Padres third baseman Chase Headley said the move wasn't
surprising considering the team's struggles. The Padres entered
Monday with a .303 on-base percentage and are now 19-29, having
lost four straight.

Venable's teammates, however, were disappointed to see one of
the team's longest-tenured position players sent down.

"It just stinks," Headley said. "If collectively we're playing
better, sometimes these moves don't happen. It's the name of the
game. The front office has to try and win games. If they sit around
and don't do anything, and we keep playing the way we are, then it
looks like we don't care that we're playing bad."

With Venable hitting .250 in May and having struck out 14 times
in 56 at-bats, Black was itching to give hot-hitting Chris Denorfia
more playing time. Rather than leave Venable on the bench, Hoyer
and Black thought he'd be best served going to Tucson to iron out
his approach.

"I'll be working toward the goal of getting my act together and
getting my swing right," Venable said on his way out of the
clubhouse.

Hoyer and Black both said Venable is headed to Tucson for
development and that his stay doesn't have to last long, assuming
his technique improves.

"We thought it was the thing to do to get Will back to Tucson to
work on some specific things that we think will help him move
forward offensively," Black said. "Most notably, in the batter's
box, his at-bats, his approach, some technical things, the
minor-league environment is probably better than him working
through these in a major league game."